


Secret Agent Man

by ivyness



Series: AU Yeah August 2018 [10]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mermaids, Alternate Universe - Secret Agent, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Steve is such a nerd, au yeah august, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-25 17:32:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyness/pseuds/ivyness
Summary: Danny has a secret





	Secret Agent Man

Steve’s first hint is when Danny tells him he doesn’t know how to swim. It’s so obviously a lie that he can’t help but pester Danny and try to force him into the water but Danny refuses to budge. Steve doesn’t like it when Danny hides stuff from him. The lie settles like an inch under his skin.

Steve knows that Danny is lying because for all Danny’s complaints to the contrary, he’s a decently muscular and fit guy. Sure, Danny can’t run as well anymore with his knee but he has an obvious swimmer’s build. Danny’s muscles are all sleek and long and his calves aren’t hardened by pounding the pavement. The only way to get a body like that is to swim and swim a lot. 

And so it’s only partly his fault when he launches himself into the ocean after a suspect, Danny’s yelling following him under. Steve is quickly able to subdue the suspect but in the fight he sustains a nasty bang on the head. 

Steve’s fine. Blood is dripping into his eyes and there’s ringing in his ears and the suspect feels heavier than usual as he tries to get them back to shore but he’s pretty sure he’s fine. When he limbs start to feel leaden and his vision begins to swim and Danny’s yelling turns more frantic, Steve starts to think that maybe he’s not so fine.

As Steve’s vision begins to go dark, he thinks he hears Danny singing in a strange language but that doesn’t make much sense. The water begins to churn all around him and he feels something big swimming underneath him, pushing at his legs and he knows he should be scared but Danny is still singing and Steve blacks out.

“You are such a moron.” is the first thing Steve hears when he wakes up and he smiles groggily at Danny.

“Don’t give me that look Steven,” Danny says while pushing the call button for the nurse. “You are not actually a seal. The navy seals don’t teach you how to breathe underwater, ergo you do not jump off a pier, into the middle of the pacific ocean, to go fight a gun-toting suspect with your bare hands!” Danny finished loudly and with a flourish, waving his hands in emphasis.

“Okay Danno,” Steve said, feeling himself slip back under. “Thank you for saving me.”

And even with his eyes closed, drugged and concussed, Steve can feel Danny go rigid beside him. “Didn’t do all that much.” he hears Danny argue unconvincingly. “Okay Danno,” Steve says and passes out before Danny can rally himself for a retort.

**************

So.

Despite Danny’s loud exclamations to the contrary, Steve does understand basic societal norms and morals. But he also believes that sometimes in order to get results and find answers, some polite niceties need to get back burnered. 

Besides, if Danny asks, Steve will just tell him the truth. Steve had set up his surveillance system before he knew he could trust Danny with his life. And he only used it that one time Danny got kidnapped by the mafia. Which, granted, resulted in Steve planting on tracker on Danny, but his caution was validated two months later when Danny got kidnapped by the Yakuza.

But this is equally as important. Danny is hiding something from him and Steve wants to know what it is.

So.

Steve starts reviewing the footage from the cameras he has set up around Danny’s apartment. He has to go back pretty far but eventually he sees his second clue.

And that’s how Steve finds out that Danny is seeing another man. He knows that Danny would never betray him and the team at 5-Oh but he can’t deny the evidence. Danny is reporting back to someone. Someone who is not Steve.

Danny is his partner and an integral member of the Governor's task force and he has access to all sorts of classified information. If Danny is working for another agency, as head of the 5-Oh, Steve needs to know whether or not this could become a liability to the team. 

Steve is not jealous and he absolutely doesn’t feel hurt or betrayed. Steve should be used to this by now in his line of work. He just never expected it to come from Danny.

**************

Steve is not one to dilly dally once he’s made up his mind about something so he lays out a plan.

  1. Catch Danny out in his lie about not being able to swim
  2. Find out who Danny works for and what - if any - information they’ve received
  3. Ensure Danny remains his partner and can’t won’t leave the Hawaii 5-Oh



In that order. Steve thinks it’s a great plan.

Since Steve’s already surveying Danny, he figures that graduating to tailing isn’t that much of a stretch and he spends the next week following Danny around. It’s not that hard when they already spend most of their time together anyway. 

They avoid paperwork in the morning (or at least Steve does, while Danny yells at him), chase down bad guys during the afternoon (or at least Steve does, while Danny yells at him), and grab dinner and beers in the evening (they both yell at each other). 

Then after Danny proceeds to drink too much, Steve drags them both back to his place with Danny crashing in the guest bedroom. 

Only when the weekend finally rolls around and Danny begs off lunch to run some chores, does Steve finally get the chance to stalk Danny from afar. And that’s Steve’s third clue.

Danny practically lives with him; Steve’s almost convinced him to end his lease on his terrible apartment. Danny does not have “chores” that Steve does not know about.

Also the fish. Because apparently Danny’s “chores” involve buying a shopping bag full of sushi grade fish, driving back to the pier Steve threw himself off of, singing loudly in an unfamiliar language, and tossing $200 worth of fish back into the ocean.

Steve decides to call it quits with the stealth because now he’s seriously starting to worry about Danny’s mental health. Danny always goes a little nuts after Steve gets in an accident (or tosses himself off a pier and almost drowns) but even this is a little much.

“Hey Danny!” Steve calls as he meanders over out of hiding. 

Danny jumps with a curse and Steve’s already running before he even fully registers Danny’s awkward landing on the edge of the pier. “Steve!” Danny yells as his foot slips off the edge, arms pinwheeling and landing in the water with a splash.

For the second time, Steve throws himself off the pier.

Danny is already surprisingly deep and Steve swims down after him with strong, steady strokes.

Danny’s not moving but the water around Danny is. The water is churning and bubbling like crazy, obscuring Danny’s form. And all around him, Steve sees huge schools of fish and some dolphins and a shark and his blood freezes. Steve’s punched a shark before but he’d prefer not to have a repeat performance.

They’re far out but not that far out and none of this makes sense. But his priority is getting to Danny and getting the hell out of there. Through the bubbles, Steve can see that Danny’s clothes are a tattered mess and Steve feels fear thumping heavily in his ears.

Just as Steve’s about to reach him, Danny’s head jerks up and Steve hears a gurgled but surprisingly clear, “Steve, you moron.”

Steve rears back both in affront because hey he’s trying to save Danny’s life and because Danny’s eyes are a fluorescent yellow and in their glow Steve can make out scales and gills and a thick, swishing tail.

_ Huh _ , Steve thinks,  _ Danny’s a mermaid _ .

**************

The swim back to shore is difficult. Danny complains that Steve’s swimming creates extra drag for him but Steve refuses to let Danny tug him all the way back like dead weight. The whole time, Danny keeps up a constant stream of complaints and grievances. 

“We literally just had this conversation Steve. What happened to not throwing yourself into danger?” and “You literally just couldn’t leave it alone; everything’s got to revolve around you.” 

It was grossly unfair that while underwater Steve couldn’t retort back. 

When they finally make it back to shore, Danny’s gone oddly silent and Steve quickly takes advantage of it while he can, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Danny rears up angrily, “What? Tell you what Steve? That I’m some scaly part-fish that can’t even swim without growing a tail? What exactly did you expect me to tell you Steve?”

Steve throws up his hands in exasperation, “We’re in Hawaii, Danny! Being able to swim at a moment’s notice is important and your tail is a tactical advantage that you should have disclosed to your commanding officer.”

Danny storms into Steve’s space and jabs his finger at Steve’s chest, “Commanding officer!? Since when? Partners Steve! We are Partners!”

“If we really were partners you wouldn’t hide this from me and go sneaking off behind 5-Oh’s back.”

“I hide this from everyone! Because I am a freaking  _ mermaid _ !” Danny exclaims. “And what do you mean sneaking around? You mean sneaking around behind  _ your  _ back - and don’t try to make this about the team Steve - Wait.” Danny cuts himself off with a groan and Steve starts looking for exits. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh my gosh you totally did. You’ve been spying on me.” Danny smacks Steve in the chest.

Steve just shrugs, noncommittal. 

“I am less human than you. Why do I have to lecture you on how normal people behave?”

Steve smiles at the furrow between Danny’s eyebrows, unrepentant, and Danny groans in exasperation.

“All right you duffus, I’ll tell you everything. But you owe me a beer first,” Danny says, starting the long walk back to the car.

And that’s how Steve finds out that Danny is a secret agent, sent by the merpeople to keep watch on the land dwellers. That Danny fell in love with the people who walked on land and decided to stay and make a life and a family for himself on land. That Danny is here to stay, with his family and his partner. That he could never leave them behind.

Steve excitedly explains to Danny all of the underwater maneuvers and operations they could now pull off. Of course, unlike Danny, Steve would need diving gear and they’d need to run drills to test their compatibility underwater and police backup would be slower to respond so they’d need to give the rest of the team diving lessons.

Danny stares at Steve blankly before responding by smacking him upside the head and stalking off, “You are such a nerd; like a dog with a bone. Read the mood Steven! Love had been proclaimed! But no you only care about the tactical advantages of my tail!” 

Steve smiles dopily after him and trots to catch up to Danny.


End file.
